Iron and Myth 37: Care and Feeding of the Dead
A View from the Bunker
Derek Gilbert
4.8 • 528 Ratings
🗓️ 17 February 2025
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
IN THE ANCIENT Near East, the dead never really went away. And if you didn’t care for them properly, they could make your life hell.
With us to discuss the cult of the dead in the lands around ancient Israel is our Iron and Myth crew: Dr. Judd Burton (www.BurtonBeyond.net), author of Interview with the Giant; Doug Van Dorn (www.douglasvandorn.com), author of Giants: Sons of the Gods; and Brian Godawa (www.Godawa.com), best-selling author of the theological thriller Cruel Logic, and a new novel based on the period of the Maccabees in Judea.
We explore the cult of the dead in ancient Israel, examining its practices, rituals, and the influence of ancestor worship. The discussion delves into archaeological findings, biblical references, and comparative analysis with other cultures, particularly focusing on the Rephaim and the significance of rituals like the Marzeah feast.
The pervasive nature of these beliefs and practices in ancient societies is evident in biblical references to the Rephaim and the cult of the dead, and we discuss how these concepts have influenced modern spiritual practices. We also discuss how Jesus' ministry and the Last Supper serve were spiritual warfare against the cult of the dead, drawing parallels to contemporary practices that echo these ancient beliefs.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is a view from the bunker. |
| 0:03.4 | Now, here's Derek Gilbert. |
| 0:07.6 | In the ancient Near East, around ancient Israel, the dead never really went away. |
| 0:12.4 | They were always part of the lives of the living. |
| 0:15.3 | And if you did not, as one of the living, properly care for your ancestors after they departed, they could make |
| 0:22.1 | your life a living. |
| 0:24.2 | You get the idea. |
| 0:25.4 | Welcome to a view from the bunker. |
| 0:26.4 | I'm Derek Gilbert. |
| 0:27.6 | It is Iron and Myth Time, episode number 37, as we welcome back our usual roundtable. |
| 0:34.3 | And we'll go clockwise around the grid as I am looking at them on my screen here. |
| 0:38.3 | Pastor of the Reform Baptist Church of Northern Colorado, Doug Van Dorn, |
| 0:42.3 | best-selling author, award-winning screenwriter, Brian Godawa, |
| 0:46.3 | and our friendly neighborhood PhD, Dr. Jud Burton. |
| 0:49.3 | Fellows, thanks for joining us. |
| 0:51.3 | I'm surprised we hate, this is another topic that I'm surprised |
| 0:54.2 | we had not yet addressed the cult of the dead around ancient Israel and its influence |
| 1:00.3 | on the Israelites. I mean, Doug, let me jump in with you here because this is something |
| 1:08.1 | we saw firsthand, some of the megalithic monuments to the dead when we were in Israel two years ago. |
| 1:15.1 | Saw Gilgal Refayim, saw the serpent mound of Bishan, saw the dolmens, the tumuli that were around there, saw another megalithic site overlooking the Jordan River, similar to Gilgal Refayim. |
| 1:26.0 | And according to the archaeologist who's done the most recent work at that site and at Gilgal |
| 1:30.8 | Refayim, all of these monuments devoted to the cult of the dead dating back to thousands of |
... |
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